Death & Strawberry: The Lieutenant's Return
by las184
Summary: 'Kuchiki! A promotion' P-promotion! Based on Chapter 459 of the manga. ONESHOT


**SPOILER ALERT! Spoilers for chapter 459 of the manga. If you love Rukia or IchiRuki, you might want to read it.**

xxx

"Kuchiki!"

Kuchiki Rukia looked up when her name was called. She saw her captain, Ukitake-taichou, hurry towards her.

"Ukitake-taichou!" She bowed respectfully. "You shouldn't be out here, Taichou. You're still not feeling - "

Ukitake didn't give her a chance to finish. His face was lit up by a happy, wide grin and joyful eyes. "A promotion, Kuchiki!"

Rukia stared at her captain, confused. "Huh?"

"You're being promoted, Kuchiki! To Assistant Captain!" Ukitake beamed.

Her mind was slow to catch Ukitake's words but when they sunk in, her eyes widened into moons.

"A promotion to Assistant Captain? B-but that's too high of a seat - !"

Ukitake clamped his hand onto her shoulder. "You should be proud, Kuchiki! I mentioned to Genryusai-soutaichou that you deserve to be seated, after all you've done for the Soul Society in helping defeat Aizen. With your abilities right now, there is no doubt that you shouldn't become a seated officer. After consideration, Soutaichou agreed to it, along with your brother, of course."

"N-nii-sama agreed?"

Ukitake nodded. "It's a good thing too. He should trust you enough now to not get killed in a battlefield. I'm sure he's very proud of you."

Rukia very slowly nodded. She still couldn't believe it.

"The ceremony will be held in five days' time," Ukitake continued. "Until then, you should prepare yourself for the duties of an Assistant Captain. Of course, you'll learn _after _becoming one, but go around and look at the other Fukutaichous. I'm sure they'd be willing to give a tip or two."

"H-has it been made official?"

"What do you mean?" Ukitake raised an eyebrow.

"Well, does everyone know about this?"

"Hmm.. I'm sure almost all the captains and the assistant captains know of this. Maybe a few of the other seated officers. But no, it hasn't been announced publicly."

"I see." Inside, Rukia felt relieved. It would be embarrassing if the whole of Seireitei knew about it. Not that it was a bad thing, but she felt as if she didn't want everyone to know.

"Right! Come around my office tomorrow. I'll let you know the details on what's going to happen." Ukitake smiled warmly at her and left her standing there, still a little dumbstruck from the sudden turn of events.

xxx

Rukia nervously waited in front of the huge doors to the Captain's assembly hall. There was no one out there waiting with her and that made her even more nervous for reasons unknown.

She clenched her sweaty palms, taking long, deep breaths to help calm herself. Her eyes slid shut for a moment.

_I wonder what Ichigo would have – _

Her eyes flew open, her train of thought stopping immediately.

_This isn't a good time.._

Unconsciously, she reached up and teased the strands of her short hair. She'd cut off part of her black locks a few days ago, making them shorter with slightly flicked ends. She liked it as it felt light and was easy to maintain.

Realizing what she was doing, she pulled down her hand.

The heavy doors before her slowly swung open with a groan. Rukia stood up to attention.

"Enter!" called the Soutaichou.

With steady steps, Rukia walked into the hall.

xxx

"Kuchiki Rukia! You are here out of a decision to grant you the seat of Assistant Captain!"

Rukia nodded. "Hai, Soutaichou."

"Upon the recommendation of Ukitake Jûshiro-taichou and because of your invaluable service during the Winter War and also of the hard work you have put in dedicating yourself to the Thirteenth Company, I have decided that you be given a seat within your company." The Soutaichou looked around the room. "Are there any objections to promoting this Shinigami?"

Nobody said a word.

"Then, if we are all in agreement, with the power of a Soutaichou, I give you, Kuchiki Rukia of the Kuchiki clan, Shinigami of Thirteenth Company, warrior in the Winter War, the rank of an Assistant Captain!"

The Shinigami kneeling before the row of Captains and Assistant Captains bowed low. "I humbly accept the position."

"Good." The Soutaichou knocked his staff once against the floorboards as he stood up, towering over her. "Kuchiki Rukia-fukutaichou! From this day forth, you shall help bear the responsibilities of your company with your captain. Your duty to your company will come first along with your duty to your captain. You will uphold the honor of being a Fukutaichou and not break it in whatever situation you find yourself in. You shall continue to protect and defend the Soul Society and be willing to risk your life for its sake, and also for the sake of your captain and comrades.

"Should you fail to carry out your responsibilities, punishment will be carried out accordingly. Repetitive faults can see to the demotion from your current seat. Do your duty well."

"I understand, Soutaichou."

The Soutaichou gestured to Ukitake. "Captain of Thirteenth Company, Ukitake Jûshiro, you may present Kuchiki Rukia-fukutaichou with the Assistant Captain badge."

The white-haired captain nodded and took the flat box held out by Sentarou and Kiyone. He walked over to her. "You may stand, Kuchiki-fukutaichou," he said.

Rukia got to her feet and looked up at her captain. He was smiling slightly and he opened the box. "I present to you the badge of the Assistant Captain of Thirteenth Company."

Within the box lay the familiar-looking badge she'd seen before, rectangular with a slightly curved, pointed base, the number 13 carved above the insignia of Thirteenth Company, the snowdrop. Ukitake lifted it from its case and handed it over to Rukia.

"Kaien would have wanted you to take his place," he said quietly as Rukia took the badge. Her head snapped up and she locked eyes with her superior. Ukitake had a soft smile.

"T-thank you, Taichou," she said sincerely, bowing. Hearing Kaien-dono's name left her feeling a little wistful. She sighed inwardly.

With some help from Ukitake, she wound the badge around her upper left arm. It wasn't that heavy but would still need some getting used to.

Ukitake walked back to the ranks of the Captains. Rukia bowed once more to all the Shinigami present.

"I promise to uphold the honor of this position. Should my actions fail as an Assistant Captain, I will accept any punishment due," she said.

The Soutaichou's staff thumped the floor again. "So be it. Welcome to our ranks, Kuchiki Rukia-fukutaichou."

The other Shinigami present repeated the Soutaichou's words and she nodded respectfully.

"Thank you."

xxx

"Omedetou, Rukia!"

"Congratulations, Kuchiki!"

"You'll make a fine Fukutaichou, Kuchiki-san!"

Rukia accepted each congratulation with a hurried nod and a faint blush on her cheeks. As the Captains and Assistant Captains swarmed around her, she almost couldn't breathe from the lack of space.

"Rukia."

Her brother's voice made her turn. She bowed politely. "Nii-sama!"

"Congratulations."

"Thank you, Nii-sama! I will do my duty well and not sully the Kuchiki name."

Byakuya looked at her silently. "The Kuchiki clan will remain well. Have belief in yourself."

Rukia stared at him in surprise. "I will, Nii-sama."

From beneath his haori, Byakuya took out something. "I pass this to you now, worn by higher women of the Kuchiki clan."

Rukia took the thing from her brother. They were a pair of gloves reaching up to above her elbows. It was similar to the ones Byakuya were wearing in terms of color and the shape that fitted over her hand. A loop at the end was to be fitted over the middle finger. On the knuckle of that finger was a hexagonal crest, the Kuchiki family mark carved into the small shape.

"T-thank you, Nii-sama!" She bowed hurriedly. "It is an honor to be wearing it!"

"It once belonged to Hisana. Now, it is yours."

"Hisana..nee-sama..?"

Byakuya nodded. "Wear it well. I shall see you in the Kuchiki mansion."

He left.

xxx

_Life as an Assistant Captain is definitely hard. _

_It's confusing at first, but I mainly have to help Ukitake-taichou with paperwork. Since he is unwell most of the time, I also have to run the company._

_Just like what Kaien-dono had once said._

_Renji helps me occasionally, tells me how things work and how to deal with things. Matsumoto-fukutaichou also helps me. And so do the other Assistant Captains._

_I was getting the hang of it. Although it's tiring, it isn't as hard as it once was._

_And one day, Urahara sent me a message._

xxx

Kuchiki-san. I hope I haven't disturbed anything

but this is an urgent request.

Please come to the Living World. We need a little help.

Urahara Kisuke

xxx

_When I came out from the Senkaimon, I was greeted with the sight of Urahara and Kurosaki Isshin. The two men had grim faces as I stepped closer._

_"Good evening, Kuchiki-san," Urahara said._

_"Rukia-chan." Kurosaki-san nodded towards me. _

_"And to both of you." I nodded at them._

_Urahara pointed curiously to the badge on my arm. "You made Assistant Captain?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Ah! Congratulations!" Both men smiled at me, though their faces were still a little grim._

_"Thank you." _

_Urahara gestured to his store. "Shall we go inside?"_

xxx

_Inside, Kurosaki Isshin told me your tale._

xxx

"He's powerless and he knows it. He's been seeing some people to get his powers back. Well, for one, I know that they had promised him his Shinigami powers back and also a new form of power, though I'm not sure of what it is. Ishida Ryuken, Ishida Uryû's father, told me that his son was attacked by one of their members. The attacker was most definitely human, but had special abilities.

"I think...I would like to see him with his powers again. I sense danger in the people he is training with and I know that idiot is to blind to see it. These people are working in a network, I'm pretty sure. I won't be surprised if they turn against my son.

"...I think we should return his Shinigami powers."

xxx

_It had been decided. Kurosaki Isshin is your father; we couldn't change his mind. _

_The more the plan came along, the more I grew in favor of it. I could feel your wavering Spiritual Powers, uncertain and low, trying to escape to do what you do best:_

_To protect._

_You had lost it once, we are returning it back to you now._

xxx

_You were on all fours when we came to the scene. Urahara had cloaked us in an invisibility cloth; nobody could see or sense our presence._

_You began to shout at the man who had just stolen back your newfound powers. You wanted it back, it was understandable._

_When Kurosaki-san gave us the signal, Urahara revealed us and I stabbed you with the reiryoku-filled sword._

_You turned and seeing you father, tears spilled from your eyes._

"Dad...you too...? That's how it is...?"

_My heart clenched seeing you this vulnerable. I had never seen this side of you before._

_Kurosaki-san calmly looked back at you._

"...You idiot. It wasn't me who stabbed you. Look closely. You should be able to see their form by now. Just who...is holding that sword!"

_And your eyes cleared from the blindness that had taken over for seventeen long months. Your eyes fell on mine and I smiled back at you._

"...Rukia...!"

_The blade through your chest shone with a bright light. _

_I will fight by your side now._

xxx

**A/N: YAYYYYYYYY!**

**RUKIA IS BACKK! **

**XD**

**I am so happy! I've been driving my cousin/roomie crazy with my constant ranting and fangirling and such. You know what I mean.**

**I seriously love Rukia's new hair. The more I look at it, the more I love it. It's cute on her. Plus! She made lieutenant! OMGEEE**

**And, if you print the page where Ichigo says "..Rukia..!" and look at it from a low angle (i.e. put it on a table and look at it from the bottom of the page at an angle. Do you get me?), Ichigo looks like he's smiling. X)**

**Can't wait for next chapter. I really can't wait. **

**Notes for this fic (ahaha..)****: Rukia's return deserves a happy story! I was planning to put up this hurt/comfort IchiRuki Oneshot I finished , but the night I finished it, I read the latest chapter and was SO ECSTATIC! I couldn't sleep that night!**

**Writing the ceremony scene was hard 'cause I had to make up the speech and all. But I liked how it turned out.**

**Also, I believe that when Urahara said (in chapter 448) to Isshin 'This is a matter of you taking your son's future away from him', Urahara means Ichigo's normal, human life. I truly believe that Isshin wants to return Ichigo's powers to him. The sword that Rukia stabbed Ichigo with in chapter 459 is filled with energy, giving a boost to Ichigo's own inner energy.**

**Well, that's my theory anyway.**

**Hope you liked this fic. Review if you want :)**


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